Rudo y Cursi (Blu-ray)

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All Rise...

As a high school goalie, Judge Franck Tabouring occasionally stopped the ball.

The Charge

Goal!

Opening Statement

From producers Alfonso Cuarón, Alejandro González
Iñárritu, and Guillermo del Toro comes a vibrant Mexican soccer comedy
that follows two brothers on their quest to fulfill their biggest dreams. Alas,
what they fail to realize is that reaching an ambitious goal in life is not
always as easy as it seems…

Facts of the Case

Rudo y Cursi introduces us to Tato (Gael García Bernal, The Motorcycle Diaries) and Beto
(Diego Luna, Milk), two brothers who earn a
living at a banana plantation in a small Mexican village until a stranded talent
scout (Guillermo Francella) discovers their soccer skills and offers them a big,
shiny career in the big city.

Excited to leave their boring existence behind and explore new
opportunities, Tato and Beto quickly embark on a new adventure that will change
things forever and bring them a step closer to the life they've always wanted.
Unfortunately, none of them is ready to deal with the consequences of sudden
success.

The Evidence

Let me start by saying that I really enjoyed Carlos Cuarón's Rudo y
Cursi. It didn't exactly turn out to be what I expected, but I would be
lying if I told you I didn't have a good time watching this film. This may not
be a comedy that appeals to mainstream audiences, but it provides a broad,
accessible theme, giving viewers the opportunity to come up with their own
interpretations. Essentially, Rudo y Cursi is a film about fate, fame,
fortune, rivalry, and brotherhood. While I'm at it, it's also about rising to
the top and hitting rock bottom. Throw in a dose of social commentary, and
you've got a film with an interesting meaning and intriguing characters learning
a valuable lesson.

So far I've referred to the film as a comedy, but thinking about it closely,
it also features many elements of a dark drama. Rudo y Cursi carries
delicious humor when it comes to the dialogue between Tato and Beto, but
occasionally, the film steps into more depressing territory, especially in terms
of what happens to these characters as the story progresses. I also applaud
Cuarón for creating a film that ends in a way you wouldn't expect a
traditional film of this genre to end. Of course, I'll keep this review spoiler
free, but the unpredictable conclusion to the story of these two brothers is
part of the movie's charm and message.

Also, don't watch Rudo y Cursi for the soccer. Cuarón decided to
include very little action on the field, and you barely get to see Tato and Beto
kicking the ball. It may put off some viewers, but I found this choice to be
quite interesting, especially because it keeps the focus on the characters at
all times. Okay, we do get to see one or two crucial soccer scenes that play an
important role on how the story will progress, but even in these moments, the
relationship between the leads remains of greater importance than which team
will win the game.

In fact, the personalities of Tato and Beto, along with strong performances
by Bernal and Luna, are the film's best asset. Both actors already showed
they're perfectly capable of sharing the screen in the 2001 hit Y tu
mamá también, and they equally shine as two clueless brothers
fighting their way across a hectic world that can easily push them over the edge
in an instant. Bernal and Luna spend most of the time engaging in witty
arguments, and they share a solid enough chemistry to come across naturally as a
pair of brothers who've always competed against each other.

Personally, I preferred Bernal's character (and performance) to Luna's. As
Tato, who's also known as Cursi (which means corny) in the story, Bernal hits
all the right notes, making it a pleasure to watch him take on the role of a guy
who's good at soccer but really dreams of a musical career. Scenes of him
singing a cover version of Cheap Trick's "I Want You To Want Me" are
priceless. That said, Luna is a great co-star, and although this performance as
Beto (who's also known as Rudo, the tough one) isn't as memorable as his superb
effort in Milk, he injects the film with plenty
of energy.

On Blu-ray, Rudo y Cursi looks and sounds great. The TrueHD 5.1 sound
transfer is surprisingly flawless, and the 1.78:1 video transfer boasts a clean,
sharp image quality with strong colors. Select scenes do look a tad grainy at
times, but it's not a major issue. Other than that, from a technical point of
view, this is a great high-definition experience.

You'll also find a bunch of informative special features on this disc.
Besides a highly interesting 26-minute behind-the-scenes look, the bonus
material also includes six deleted scenes, three music videos, and a truly
engaging Q&A session with Cuarón, Bernal, and Luna. This feature
doesn't only provide a more detailed look into the movie, but it also offers
viewers an insight into who these three people are and how they handle their
jobs in the film industry. Also included is a subtitled feature commentary with
Cuarón, Bernal, and Luna; although it's funny to listen to for a while
because they all goof around most of the time, it doesn't provide as many
details as you would expect.

Closing Statement

Rudo y Cursi is a funny, fast-paced film I found very easy to enjoy.
It's not without flaws, but it's an entertaining film I can only recommend,
especially on Blu-ray.